The present invention relates generally to adhesive tape construction and pertains, more specifically, to an adhesive tape of indeterminate length having serial segments of finite lengths capable of being separated and adhered selectively to a juxtaposed surface.
Adhesive tapes, and especially pressure-sensitive adhesive tapes, have found a myriad of uses and have become essentially staple items. Ordinarily, these tapes are supplied in indeterminate lengths, usually in the form of rolls of tape from which finite lengths are drawn and separated for use. Where it is desired to have available predetermined finite lengths, such rolls have been provided with longitudinally spaced apart perforations defining the desired predetermined finite lengths and enabling selective separation of the defined finite lengths for use. Separation of the finite lengths from the roll and manipulation of the separated lengths has been accomplished through the use of various supplemental non-adhesive tabs placed along the length of the tape.
The use of supplemental tabs requires additional manufacturing steps in introducing the tabs, additional space within the rolls of tape to accommodate the tabs, and either removal of the tabs upon use, and subsequent disposal, or some adjustment to the presence of a tab upon adhering a tabbed finite length to a juxtaposed surface.
Especially in those adhesive tapes to be applied to envelopes and packages, it becomes important to provide a tape length which can be applied easily and which includes no unadhered portion which can be snagged or which can otherwise impede the mechanized handling of such envelopes or packages.
The present invention provides an improvement which eliminates the necessity for supplemental tabs on finite-length segments of adhesive tape to be separated from a roll of tape of indeterminate length, and concomitant problems posed by such tabs, while facilitating both the separation and manipulation of the segments. As such, the present invention attains several objects and advantages, some of which are summarized as follows: Provides an adhesive tape which can be manufactured and supplied in an indeterminate length with serial segments separable readily for manipulation and secure adherence to a juxtaposed surface, without the need for supplemental tabs and the like; allows an adhesive tape of indeterminate length to be supplied in a roll from which finite-length segments readily are drawn, separated and manipulated through the use of a gripping element integrated with each segment; provides an elongate adhesive tape of indeterminate length with longitudinally spaced apart gripping elements integrated into the structure of the adhesive tape for ease of manufacture and ready manipulation of segments separated from the indeterminate length; facilitates the secure attachment of a segment of adhesive tape, separated from an indeterminate length of adhesive tape, to an envelope or package without appendages or other structure which could become snagged or which could otherwise interfere with the mechanized handling of the envelope or package; enables a choice in the length of an adhesive tape in increments related to the length of each consecutive serial tape segment; facilitates selective detachment and removal of a segment of adhesive tape from a juxtaposed surface to which the segment has been adhered; enables economical manufacture and supply of an elongate adhesive tape selectively separable into segments for secure attachment to a juxtaposed surface.
The above objects and advantages, as well as further objects and advantages, are attained by the present invention which may be described briefly as an adhesive tape including serial segments for being adhered individually to a juxtaposed surface, the adhesive tape comprising: an elongate substrate of indeterminate longitudinal length having altitudinally opposite faces and laterally opposite side edges; a plurality of end boundaries extending laterally across the substrate and spaced apart longitudinally for defining a corresponding plurality of serial segments of finite longitudinal length, each segment extending longitudinally between terminal ends defined by corresponding adjacent end boundaries; a layer of adhesive on each segment, the layer extending along one of the faces of the substrate and being contiguous with the adjacent end boundaries defining each segment; and a non-adhesive area extending along the one of the faces of the the non-adhesive area being contiguous with at least one of the adjacent end boundaries of each segment corresponding to the adjacent end boundaries, extending from the one of the adjacent end boundaries toward the other of the adjacent end boundaries, and having a limited longitudinal length substantially less than the longitudinal length of the corresponding segment, the non-adhesive area being located between the side edges and spaced laterally from each of the side edges to establish a non-adherent gripping element placed intermediate adherent portions located contiguous with the side edges for securing a corresponding terminal end to the juxtaposed surface upon adhesion of the corresponding segment to the juxtaposed surface, and for facilitating selected lifting of the corresponding terminal end altitudinally from the juxtaposed surface for selective release and removal of the corresponding segment from the juxtaposed surface.
In addition, the present invention includes an adhesive tape segment for adherence to a juxtaposed surface and selective detachment and removal from the juxtaposed surface, the adhesive tape segment comprising: an elongate substrate having a length extending longitudinally between terminal ends, altitudinally opposite faces and laterally opposite side edges; a layer of adhesive on the substrate, the layer extending along one of the faces of the substrate and being contiguous with the terminal ends; and a non-adhesive area extending along the one of the faces of the substrate, the non-adhesive area being contiguous with at least one of the terminal ends, extending from the one of the terminal ends toward the other of the terminal ends, and having a limited longitudinal length substantially less than the longitudinal length of the substrate, the non-adhesive area being located between the side edges and spaced laterally from each of the side edges to establish a non-adherent gripping element placed intermediate adherent portions located contiguous with the side edges for securing the one terminal end to the juxtaposed surface upon adhesion of the segment to the juxtaposed surface, and for facilitating selected lifting of the one terminal end altitudinally from the juxtaposed surface for selective release and removal of the segment from the juxtaposed surface.